{"id":569411,"date":"2026-08-15T02:32:08","date_gmt":"2026-08-15T02:32:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/569411\/"},"modified":"2026-08-15T02:32:08","modified_gmt":"2026-08-15T02:32:08","slug":"netflix-pushes-back-on-tyra-banks-reality-check-defamation-suit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/569411\/","title":{"rendered":"Netflix Pushes Back on Tyra Banks ‘Reality Check’ Defamation Suit"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tNetflix<\/a> filed a motion Friday to throw out Tyra Banks<\/a>\u2018 defamation suit over a documentary series about \u201cAmerica\u2019s Next Top Model,\u201d arguing that Banks is taking issue with routine editorial decisions.<\/p>\n

\n\tBanks sued<\/a> in June, accusing Netflix and the show\u2019s directors, Mor Loushy and Daniel Sivan, of falsely portraying her as having been insensitive to a contestant who said she was a victim of sexual assault. Banks sat for a three-hour interview for the docuseries<\/a>, \u201cReality Check: Inside America\u2019s Next Top Model,\u201d though the producers used only about 16 minutes.<\/p>\n

\n\tIn their motion to strike the complaint<\/a>, Netflix\u2019s lawyers argued that Banks\u2019 dissatisfaction with the series does not amount to defamation. They also argue that the suit complains about editing decisions of the sort that were routinely made on \u201cAmerica\u2019s Next Top Model.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cBanks understands editorial discretion,\u201d the filing states. \u201cShe created, hosted, and executive produced 24 seasons of ANTM, making the same kinds of editorial decisions she now attacks \u2014 what footage to include, what to omit, and how to present competing narratives. The Documentary simply turned that editorial lens back on ANTM and Banks. Her disagreement with the resulting portrayal does not make it defamatory.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tBanks argues that her interview was deceptively edited to make it appear that she forgot about the contestant, Shandi Sullivan, who alleges she was assaulted during the show\u2019s second season in Milan. On the Netflix series, Banks is asked if if she remembers Sullivan, and says \u201cum\u201d and looks toward the ceiling. The show then cuts, ending the first episode in a cliffhanger.<\/p>\n

\n\tBanks argues that her full answer was left out, and that if included, it would have made clear that she did remember Sullivan\u2019s story.<\/p>\n

\n\tIn response, Netflix\u2019s lawyers note that her answer \u2014 \u201cI do remember her story\u201d \u2014 was included at the beginning of the second episode.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cA documentary expressly showing Banks remembering does not imply that she forgot,\u201d the filing states.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe company\u2019s lawyers noted that Banks had signed a standard waiver giving up creative control over the project.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe three-episode docuseries, released in February, was part of a broader reappraisal of \u201cAmerica\u2019s Next Top Model,\u201d which ran for 24 seasons between 2003 and 2018. The documentary spotlighted some harsh criticisms of the show and of Banks.<\/p>\n

\n\tIn a statement, Netflix said it stands by the series and the directors.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cDirectors Daniel Sivan and Mor Loushy are respected documentarians who thoroughly interviewed the people behind \u2018America\u2019s Next Top Model,’\u201d a company spokesperson said. \u201cTyra Banks was given the opportunity to speak openly about her experience and the creators fairly presented her perspective alongside those of every other participant shown in this documentary. We stand behind \u2018Reality Check: Inside America\u2019s Next Top Model\u2019 and will continue to vigorously defend it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Netflix filed a motion Friday to throw out Tyra Banks\u2018 defamation suit over a documentary series about \u201cAmerica\u2019s…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":569412,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[156,1094,111,139,69,280368,437,170960],"class_list":["post-569411","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tv","tag-entertainment","tag-netflix","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-reality-check-inside-americas-next-top-model","tag-tv","tag-tyra-banks"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/569411","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=569411"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/569411\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/569412"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=569411"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=569411"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=569411"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}